Israel Tells Civilians to Leave Northern Gaza Ahead of Expected Ground Operation
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Israel told roughly 1 million Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza and head to the southern part of the territory on Friday, in advance of an expected ground operation by Israeli forces against Hamas.
Key Quotes: "The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians from Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and to move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, the river Gaza, as shown on the map," an Israel Defense Forces spokesman announced Friday morning on X.
For Context: More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas, while Hamas's attacks killed at least 1,300 people. Thousands more have been wounded on both sides.
How the Media Covered It: The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) called the announcement "an unprecedented order applying to almost half the population ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group." National Review's news section (Lean Right bias) said the move possibly signals "an impending ground invasion to root out Hamas terrorists based in the area." Left-rated sources remain less likely to label the Hamas attacks "terrorism," while most right-rated sources do.
Why the Difference: Left-rated sources tend to show more concern for Palestinian civilians in the face of Israeli airstrikes. Right-rated outlets are more focused on efforts to eliminate Hamas terrorists. These divisions reflect deeply rooted differences on Israel and Palestine.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Israel Warns Palestinians to Evacuate Northern Gaza ahead of Possible Ground Invasion
The Israeli military ordered civilians living in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate the area within 24 hours, possibly signaling an impending ground invasion to root out Hamas terrorists based in the area.
“The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians from Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and to move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, the river Gaza, as shown on the map,” Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Friday morning.
The message was shared on X, formerly known as...
From the Left
Israel orders unprecedented evacuation of 1 million in Gaza as possible ground offensive looms
Israel’s military told some 1 million Palestinians on Friday to evacuate northern Gaza and head to the southern part of the besieged territory, an unprecedented order applying to almost half the population ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group.
The U.N. warned that so many people fleeing en masse — with just a 24-hour deadline — would be calamitous. Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel nearly a week ago and has fired thousands of rockets since, dismissed it as a ploy and called on people...
From the Center
Israel calls for civilians to leave Gaza City as military amasses tanks
Israel called on Friday for all civilians in the northern half of the Gaza Strip, more than 1 million people, to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks for an expected ground assault in response to an attack by the militant group Hamas.
Hamas, which controls the strip, told residents to stay put, and vowed to fight to the last drop of blood. By Friday afternoon there was no sign of any mass exodus as Israel prepared its onslaught.
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